rock landscaping Las Vegas

 

Las Vegas
City
Downtown Las Vegas World Market Center The Strat Clark County Government Center Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health Las Vegas Strip in Paradise and Winchester, outside city limits
Flag Seal
Etymology: from Spanish las vegas 'the meadows'
Nicknames:  "Vegas", "Sin City", "City of Lights", "The Gambling Capital of the World",[1] "The Entertainment Capital of the World", "Capital of Second Chances",[2] "The Marriage Capital of the World", "The Silver City", "America's Playground", "Hawaii's Ninth Island"[3][4]
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Las Vegas   Show map of Nevada
Coordinates: 36°10′2″N 115°8′55″W / 36.16722°N 115.14861°W / 36.16722; -115.14861
Country	United States
State	Nevada
County	Clark
Founded	May 15, 1905
Incorporated	March 16, 1911
Government
• Type	Council–manager
• Mayor	Shelley Berkley (D)
• Mayor Pro Tem	Brian Knudsen (D)
• City council	Members Brian Knudsen (D) Victoria Seaman (R) Olivia Diaz (D) Francis Allen-Palenske (R) Cedric Crear (D) Nancy Brune (D)
• City manager	Jorge Cervantes
Area [5]
• City	141.91 sq mi (367.53 km2)
• Land	141.85 sq mi (367.40 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
• Urban	540 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Metro	1,580 sq mi (4,100 km2)
Elevation	2,001 ft (610 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	641,903
• Rank	75th in North America 24th in the United States[6] 1st in Nevada
• Density	4,525.16/sq mi (1,747.17/km2)
• Urban	2,196,623 (US: 21st)
• Urban density	5,046.3/sq mi (1,948.4/km2)
• Metro [7]	2,265,461 (US: 29th)
Demonym	Las Vegan
GDP [8]
• Metro	$160.728 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00 (PDT)
ZIP Codes	89044, 89054, 891xx
Area code(s)	702 and 725
FIPS code	32-40000
GNIS feature ID	847388
Website	lasvegasnevada.gov

Las Vegas,^[a] colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-largest in the Southwestern United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had 641,903 residents in 2020,^[9] with a metropolitan population of 2,227,053,^[10] making it the 24th-most populous city in the United States. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife, with most venues centered on downtown Las Vegas and more to the Las Vegas Strip just outside city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester. The Las Vegas Valley serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center in Nevada.

Las Vegas was settled in 1905 and officially incorporated in 1911.^[11] At the close of the 20th century, it was the most populated North American city founded within that century (a similar distinction was earned by Chicago in the 19th century). Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s and into the 21st century, and between 1990 and 2000 the population increased by 85.2%.

The city bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and large casino-hotels. With over 40.8 million visitors annually as of 2023,^[12] Las Vegas is one of the most visited cities in the United States, annually ranking as one of the world's most visited tourist destinations.^[13][14] It is the third most popular U.S. destination for business conventions^[15] and a global leader in the hospitality industry.^[16] The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment has earned it the nickname "Sin City",^[17] and has made it a popular setting for literature, films, television programs, commercials and music videos.

In 1829, Mexican trader and explorer Antonio Armijo led a group consisting of 60 men and 100 mules along the Old Spanish Trail from modern day New Mexico to California. Along the way, the group stopped in what would become Las Vegas and noted its natural water sources, now referred to as the Las Vegas Springs, which supported extensive vegetation such as grasses and mesquite trees. The springs were a significant natural feature in the valley, with streams that supported a meadow ecosystem. This region served as the winter residence for the Southern Paiute people, who utilized the area's resources before moving to higher elevations during the summer months. The Spanish "las vegas" or "the meadows" (more precisely, lower land near a river) in English, was applied to describe the fertile lowlands near the springs. Over time, the name began to refer to the populated settlement.^[18][19][20]

Nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled to the Las Vegas area 10,000 years ago, leaving behind petroglyphs. Ancient Puebloan and Paiute tribes followed at least 2,000 years ago.^[21]

A young Mexican scout named Rafael Rivera is credited as the first non-Native American to encounter the valley, in 1829.^[22] Trader Antonio Armijo led a 60-man party along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles, California, in 1829.^[23][24] In 1844, John C. Frémont arrived, and his writings helped lure pioneers to the area. Downtown Las Vegas's Fremont Street is named after him.

Eleven years later, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose Las Vegas as the site to build a fort halfway between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, where they would travel to gather supplies. The fort was abandoned several years afterward. The remainder of this Old Mormon Fort can still be seen at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

Las Vegas was founded as a city in 1905, when 110 acres (45 ha) of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned in what would become the downtown area. In 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city.^[25]

The year 1931 was pivotal for Las Vegas. At that time, Nevada legalized casino gambling^[26] and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks.^[27] This year also witnessed the beginning of construction of the tunnels of nearby Hoover Dam. The influx of construction workers and their families helped Las Vegas avoid economic calamity during the Great Depression. The construction work was completed in 1935.

In late 1941, Las Vegas Army Airfield was established. Renamed Nellis Air Force Base in 1950, it is now home to the United States Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team.^[28]

Following World War II, lavishly decorated hotels, gambling casinos, and big-name entertainment became synonymous with Las Vegas.

In 1951, nuclear weapons testing began at the Nevada Test Site, 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas. During this time, the city was nicknamed the "Atomic City." Residents and visitors were able to witness the mushroom clouds (and were exposed to the fallout) until 1963 when the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty required that nuclear tests be moved underground.^[29]

In 1955, the Moulin Rouge Hotel opened and became the first racially integrated casino-hotel in Las Vegas.

During the 1960s, corporations and business tycoons such as Howard Hughes were building and buying hotel-casino properties. Gambling was referred to as "gaming," which transitioned it into a legitimate business. Learning from Las Vegas, published during this era, asked architects to take inspiration from the city's highly decorated buildings, helping to start the postmodern architecture movement.

In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience opened in Las Vegas's downtown area. This canopied five-block area features 12.5 million LED lights and 550,000 watts of sound from dusk until midnight during shows held at the top of each hour.

Due to the realization of many revitalization efforts, 2012 was dubbed "The Year of Downtown." Projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars made their debut at this time, including the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Discovery Children's Museum, the Mob Museum, the Neon Museum, a new City Hall complex, and renovations for a new Zappos.com corporate headquarters in the old City Hall building.^[30][31]

Las Vegas is the county seat of Clark County, in a basin on the floor of the Mojave Desert,^[32] and is surrounded by mountain ranges. Much of the landscape is rocky and arid, with desert vegetation and wildlife. It can be subjected to torrential flash floods, although much has been done to mitigate the effects of flash floods through improved drainage systems.^[33]

The city's elevation is approximately 2,030 ft (620 m) above sea level, though the surrounding peaks reach elevations of over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and act as barriers to the strong flow of moisture from the surrounding area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 135.86 sq mi (351.9 km²), of which 135.81 sq mi (351.7 km²) is land and 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km²) (0.03%) is water.

After Alaska and California, Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the U.S. It has been estimated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) that over the next 50 years, there is a 10–20% chance of an M6.0 or greater earthquake occurring within 50 km (31 mi) of Las Vegas.^[34]

Within the city are many lawns, trees, and other greenery. Due to water resource issues, there has been a movement to encourage xeriscapes. Another part of conservation efforts is scheduled watering days for residential landscaping. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant in 2008 funded a program that analyzed and forecast growth and environmental effects through 2019.^[35]

Las Vegas has a subtropical hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWh, Trewartha climate classification BWhk), typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. This climate is typified by long, extremely hot summers; warm transitional seasons; and short winters with mild days and cool nights. There is abundant sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 310 sunny days and bright sunshine during 86% of all daylight hours.^[36][37] Rainfall is scarce, with an average of 4.2 in (110 mm) dispersed between roughly 26 total rainy days per year.^[38] Las Vegas is among the sunniest, driest, and least humid locations in North America, with exceptionally low dew points and humidity that sometimes remains below 10%.^[39]

The summer months of June through September are extremely hot, though moderated by the low humidity levels. July is the hottest month, with an average daytime high of 104.5 °F (40.3 °C). On average, 137 days per year reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C), of which 78 days reach 100 °F (38 °C) and 10 days reach 110 °F (43 °C). During the peak intensity of summer, overnight lows frequently remain above 80 °F (27 °C), and occasionally above 85 °F (29 °C).^[36]

While most summer days are consistently hot, dry, and cloudless, the North American Monsoon sporadically interrupts this pattern and brings more cloud cover, thunderstorms, lightning, increased humidity, and brief spells of heavy rain. Potential monsoons affect Las Vegas between July and August. Summer in Las Vegas is marked by significant diurnal temperature variation. While less extreme than other parts of the state, nighttime lows in Las Vegas are often 30 °F (16.7 °C) or more lower than daytime highs.^[40] The average hottest night of the year is 90 °F (32 °C). The all-time record is at 95 °F (35 °C).^[36]

Las Vegas winters are relatively short, with typically mild daytime temperatures and chilly nights. Sunshine is abundant in all seasons. December is both the year's coolest and cloudiest month, with an average daytime high of 56.9 °F (13.8 °C) and sunshine occurring during 78% of its daylight hours. Winter evenings are defined by clear skies and swift drops in temperature after sunset, with overnight minima averaging around 40 °F (4.4 °C) in December and January. Owing to its elevation that ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m), Las Vegas experiences markedly cooler winters than other areas of the Mojave Desert and the adjacent Sonoran Desert that are closer to sea level. The city records freezing temperatures an average of 10 nights per winter. It is exceptionally rare for temperatures to reach or fall below 25 °F (−4 °C).^[36]

Most of the annual precipitation falls during the winter. February, the wettest month, averages only four days of measurable rain. The mountains immediately surrounding the Las Vegas Valley accumulate snow every winter, but significant accumulation within the city is rare, although moderate accumulations occur every few years. The most recent accumulations occurred on February 18, 2019, when parts of the city received about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of snow^[41] and on February 20 when the city received almost 0.5 inches (1.3 cm).^[42] Other recent significant snow accumulations occurred on December 25, 2015, and December 17, 2008.^[43] Unofficially, Las Vegas's largest snowfall on record was the 12 inches (30 cm) that fell in 1909.^[44] In recent times, ice days have not occurred, although 29 °F (−2 °C) was measured in 1963.^[36] On average the coldest day is 44 °F (7 °C).^[36]

The highest temperature officially observed for Las Vegas is 120 °F (48.9 °C), as measured at Harry Reid International Airport on July 7, 2024.^[36][45] The lowest temperature was 8 °F (−13 °C), recorded on two days: January 25, 1937, and January 13, 1963.^[36] The official record hot daily minimum is 95 °F (35 °C) on July 19, 2005, and July 1, 2013. The official record cold daily maximum is 28 °F (−2 °C) on January 8 and 21, 1937.^[36] July 2024 was the hottest month ever recorded in Las Vegas, with its highest recorded mean daily average temperature over the month of 99.9 °F (38 °C), its highest recorded mean daily maximum temperature of 111.5 °F (44 °C), and its highest recorded mean nightly minimum temperature of 88.3 °F (31 °C).^[46]

Due to concerns about climate change in the wake of a 2002 drought, daily water consumption has been reduced from 314 US gallons (1,190 L) per resident in 2003 to around 205 US gallons (780 L) in 2015.^[47]

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• Boulder City, incorporated
• Enterprise, unincorporated
• Henderson, incorporated
• Lone Mountain, unincorporated
• North Las Vegas, incorporated
• Paradise, unincorporated
• Spring Valley, unincorporated
• Summerlin South, unincorporated
• Sunrise Manor, unincorporated
• Whitney, unincorporated
• Winchester, unincorporated

• Downtown
• The Lakes
• Summerlin
• West Las Vegas

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	25		—
1910	800		3,100.0%
1920	2,304		188.0%
1930	5,165		124.2%
1940	8,422		63.1%
1950	24,624		192.4%
1960	64,405		161.6%
1970	125,787		95.3%
1980	164,674		30.9%
1990	258,295		56.9%
2000	478,434		85.2%
2010	583,756		22.0%
2020	641,903		10.0%
2022 (est.)	656,274		2.2%
source:[48][49] 2010–2010[9]

Las Vegas, Nevada – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[50]	Pop 2010[51]	Pop 2020[52]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	277,704	279,703	259,561	58.04%	47.91%	40.44%
Black or African American alone (NH)	48,380	62,008	79,129	10.11%	10.62%	12.33%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	2,405	2,391	2,291	0.50%	0.41%	0.36%
Asian alone (NH)	22,411	34,606	44,995	4.68%	5.93%	7.01%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1,935	3,103	4,204	0.40%	0.53%	0.65%
Other race alone (NH)	650	1,101	3,855	0.14%	0.19%	0.60%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	11,987	16,985	34,040	2.51%	2.91%	5.30%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	112,962	183,859	213,828	23.61%	31.50%	33.31%
Total	474,434	583,756	641,903	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

According to the 2020 United States census, the city of Las Vegas had 644,883 people living in 244,429 households. The racial composition of the City of Las Vegas was 49.2% white, 11.9% black, 1.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.9% Asian, Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 34.1% and 16.2% from two or more races. 40.8% were non-Hispanic white.^[53]

Approximately 5.8% of residents are under the age of five, 22.8% under the age of eighteen and 15.6% over 65 years old. Females are 50.0% of the total population.^[53]

⬤ Black

⬤ Asian

⬤ Hispanic

⬤ Other

From 2019 to 2023, Las Vegas had approximately 244,429 households, with an average of 2.63 persons per household. About 55.7% of housing units were owner-occupied, and the median value of owner-occupied housing was $395,300. Median gross rent during this period was $1,456 per month (in 2023 dollars).^[53]

The median household income in Las Vegas from 2019 to 2023 was $70,723, while the per capita income was $38,421 (in 2023 dollars). Approximately 14.2% of the population lived below the poverty line during the same period.^[53]

Residents over 25 years old with a high school diploma were 85.8% of the population with 27.3% having attained a bachelor's degree or higher.^[53]

About 33.0% of residents aged 5 and older speak a language other than English at home. 20.9% of residents are foreign-born.^[53]

The mean travel time to work for residents aged 16 and older was approximately 25.8 minutes between 2019 and 2023. The vast majority of households in Las Vegas are digitally connected, with 95.6% having a computer and 89.1% subscribing to broadband internet services .

According to demographer William H. Frey using data from the 2010 United States census, Las Vegas has the second-lowest level of black-white segregation of any of the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas after Tucson, Arizona.^[54]

According to the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce, Filipinos make up the largest ethnic population within Vegas. at 20% of the city's population.^[55] Native Hawaiians are also a major demographic in the city, with some Hawaiians and Las Vegas residents calling the city the "ninth island of Hawaii" due to the major influx of Hawaiians to Vegas.^[56]

According to a 2004 study, Las Vegas has one of the highest divorce rates.^[57][58] The city's high divorce rate is not wholly due to Las Vegans themselves getting divorced. Compared to other states, Nevada's nonrestrictive requirements for divorce result in many couples temporarily moving to Las Vegas in order to get divorced.^[59] Similarly, Nevada marriage requirements are equally lax resulting in one of the highest marriage rates of U.S. cities, with many licenses issued to people from outside the area (see Las Vegas weddings).^[59]

According to the 2010 Census, the city of Las Vegas had a population of 583,756. The city's racial composition had shifted slightly, with 47.91% of the population identifying as White alone (non-Hispanic), 10.63% as Black or African American alone (non-Hispanic), 0.41% as Native American or Alaska Native alone (non-Hispanic), 5.93% as Asian alone (non-Hispanic), 0.53% as Pacific Islander alone (non-Hispanic), 0.19% as Other Race alone (non-Hispanic), and 2.91% as Mixed race or Multiracial (non-Hispanic). Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race represented 31.50% of the population.^[51]

According to the 2000 census, Las Vegas had a population of 474,434 people. The racial makeup of the city was 58.52% White alone (non-Hispanic), 10.19% Black or African American alone (non-Hispanic), 0.51% Native American or Alaska Native alone (non-Hispanic), 4.72% Asian alone (non-Hispanic), 0.41% Pacific Islander alone (non-Hispanic), 0.14% Other Race alone (non-Hispanic), and 2.52% Mixed race or Multiracial (non-Hispanic). Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 23.81% of the population.^[50]

Historical racial profile	2020[60]	2010[61]	2000[62]	1990[63]	1970[63]
White	46.0%	62.1%	69.9%	78.4%	87.6%
—Non-Hispanic Whites	40.4%	47.9%	58.0%	72.1%	83.1%[c]
Black or African American	12.9%	11.1%	10.4%	11.4%	11.2%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	33.3%	31.5%	23.6%	12.5%	4.6%[c]
Asian	7.2%	6.1%	4.8%	3.6%	0.7%

The primary drivers of the Las Vegas economy are tourism, gaming, and conventions, which in turn feed the retail and restaurant industries.

The major attractions in Las Vegas are the casinos and the hotels, although in recent years other new attractions have begun to emerge.

Most casinos in the downtown area are on Fremont Street, with The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Skypod as one of the few exceptions. Fremont East, adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience, was granted variances to allow bars to be closer together, similar to the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, the goal being to attract a different demographic than the Strip attracts.

The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, downtown along the Fremont Street Experience, is the oldest continuously operating hotel and casino in Las Vegas; it opened in 1906 as the Hotel Nevada.

In 1931, the Northern Club (now the La Bayou) opened.^[64][65] The most notable of the early casinos may have been Binion's Horseshoe (now Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel) while it was run by Benny Binion.

Boyd Gaming has a major presence downtown operating the California Hotel & Casino, the Fremont Hotel & Casino, and the Main Street Casino. The Four Queens also operates downtown along the Fremont Street Experience.

Downtown casinos that have undergone major renovations and revitalization in recent years include the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, The D Las Vegas (formerly Fitzgerald's), the Downtown Grand Las Vegas (formerly Lady Luck), the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, and the Plaza Hotel & Casino.^[66]

In 2020, Circa Resort & Casino opened, becoming the first all-new hotel-casino to be built on Fremont Street since 1980.^[67]

The center of the gambling and entertainment industry is the Las Vegas Strip, outside the city limits in the surrounding unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester in Clark County. Some of the largest casinos and buildings are there.^[68]

In 1929, the city installed a welcome arch over Fremont Street, at the corner of Main Street.^[69][70][71] It remained in place until 1931.^[72][73]

In 1959, the 25-foot-tall (7.6 m) Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was installed at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. A replica welcome sign, standing nearly 16 feet (4.9 m) tall, was installed within city limits in 2002, at Las Vegas Boulevard and Fourth Street.^[74][75][76] The replica was destroyed in 2016, when a pickup truck crashed into it.^[77]

In 2018, the city approved plans for a new gateway landmark in the form of neon arches. It was built within city limits, in front of the Strat resort and north of Sahara Avenue.^[78] The project, built by YESCO, cost $6.5 million and stands 80 feet (24 m) high.^[79] Officially known as the Gateway Arches, the project was completed in 2020. The steel arches are blue during the day, and light up in a variety of colors at night.^[80]

Also located just north of the Strat are a pair of giant neon showgirls, initially added in 2018 as part of a $400,000 welcome display. The original showgirls were 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, but were replaced by new ones in 2022, rising 50 feet (15 m).^[81][82] The originals were refurbished following weather damage and installed at the Las Vegas Arts District.^[82][83]

When The Mirage opened in 1989, it started a trend of major resort development on the Las Vegas Strip outside of the city. This resulted in a drop in tourism in the downtown area, but many recent projects have increased the number of visitors to downtown.

An effort has been made by city officials to diversify the economy by attracting health-related, high-tech and other commercial interests. No state tax for individuals or corporations, as well as a lack of other forms of business-related taxes, have aided the success of these efforts.^[84]

The Fremont Street Experience was built in an effort to draw tourists back to the area and has been popular since its startup in 1995.

The city conducted a land-swap deal in 2000 with Lehman Brothers, acquiring 61 acres (25 ha) of property near downtown Las Vegas in exchange for 91 acres (37 ha) of the Las Vegas Technology Center.^[85] In 2004, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced that the area would become home to Symphony Park (originally called "Union Park"^[86]), a mixed-use development. The development is home to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Discovery Children's Museum, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and four residential projects totaling 600 residential units as of 2024.^[87]

In 2005, the World Market Center opened, consisting of three large buildings taking up 5,400,000 square feet (500,000 m²). Trade shows for the furniture and furnishing industries are held there semiannually.^[88]

Also nearby is the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets. With a second expansion, completed in May 2015, the mall currently offers 175 stores.^[89]

City offices moved to a new Las Vegas City Hall in February 2013 on downtown's Main Street. The former city hall building is now occupied by the corporate headquarters for the online retailer Zappos.com, which opened downtown in 2013. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh took an interest in the urban area and contributed $350 million toward a revitalization effort called the Downtown Project.^[90][91] Projects funded include Las Vegas's first independent bookstore, The Writer's Block.^[92]

A number of new industries have moved to Las Vegas in recent decades. Zappos.com (now an Amazon subsidiary) was founded in San Francisco but by 2013 had moved its headquarters to downtown Las Vegas. Allegiant Air, a low-cost air carrier, launched in 1997 with its first hub at Harry Reid International Airport and headquarters in nearby Summerlin.

Planet 13 Holdings, a cannabis company, opened the world's largest cannabis dispensary in Las Vegas at 112,000 sq ft (10,400 m²).^[93][94]

A growing population means the Las Vegas Valley used 1.2 billion US gal (4.5 billion L) more water in 2014 than in 2011. Although water conservation efforts implemented in the wake of a 2002 drought have had some success, local water consumption remains 30 percent greater than in Los Angeles, and over three times that of San Francisco metropolitan area residents. The Southern Nevada Water Authority is building a $1.4 billion tunnel and pumping station to bring water from Lake Mead, has purchased water rights throughout Nevada, and has planned a controversial $3.2 billion pipeline across half the state. By law, the Las Vegas Water Service District "may deny any request for a water commitment or request for a water connection if the District has an inadequate supply of water." But limiting growth on the basis of an inadequate water supply has been unpopular with the casino and building industries.^[47]

The city is home to several museums, including the Neon Museum (the location for many of the historical signs from Las Vegas's mid-20th century heyday), The Mob Museum, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, the Discovery Children's Museum, the Nevada State Museum and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park.

The city is home to an extensive Downtown Arts District, which hosts numerous galleries and events including the annual Las Vegas Film Festival. "First Friday" is a monthly celebration that includes arts, music, special presentations and food in a section of the city's downtown region called 18b, The Las Vegas Arts District.^[95] The festival extends into the Fremont East Entertainment District.^[96] The Thursday evening before First Friday is known in the arts district as "Preview Thursday," which highlights new gallery exhibitions throughout the district.^[97]

The Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts is a Grammy award-winning magnet school located in downtown Las Vegas. The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is downtown in Symphony Park and hosts various Broadway shows and other artistic performances.

Las Vegas has earned the moniker "Gambling Capital of the World," as it has the world's most land-based casinos.^[98] The city is also host to more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world.^[99]

The Las Vegas Valley is the home of three major professional teams: the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team that began play in the 2017–18 NHL season at T-Mobile Arena in nearby Paradise,^[100] the National Football League (NFL)'s Las Vegas Raiders, who relocated from Oakland, California, in 2020 and play at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise,^[101] and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)'s Las Vegas Aces, who play at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) will move to Las Vegas by 2028.^[102][103]

Two minor league sports teams play in the Las Vegas area. The Las Vegas Aviators of the Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A farm club of the Athletics, play at Las Vegas Ballpark in nearby Summerlin.^[104] The Las Vegas Lights FC of the United Soccer League play in Cashman Field in Downtown Las Vegas.^[105][106]

The mixed martial arts promotion, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is headquartered in Las Vegas and also frequently holds fights in the city at T-Mobile Arena and at the UFC Apex training facility near the headquarters.^[107]

Team	Sport	League	Venue (capacity)	Established	Titles
Las Vegas Raiders	Football	NFL	Allegiant Stadium (65,000)	2020	3[d]
Vegas Golden Knights	Ice hockey	NHL	T-Mobile Arena (17,500)	2017	1
Las Vegas Aces	Women's basketball	WNBA	Michelob Ultra Arena (12,000)	2018	2

Team	Sport	League	Venue (capacity)	Established	Titles
Las Vegas Aviators	Baseball	MiLB (AAA-PCL)	Las Vegas Ballpark (10,000)	1983	2
Henderson Silver Knights	Ice hockey	AHL	Lee's Family Forum (5,567)	2020	0
Las Vegas Lights FC	Soccer	USLC	Cashman Field (9,334)	2018	0
Vegas Knight Hawks	Indoor football	IFL	Lee's Family Forum (6,019)	2021	0
Las Vegas Desert Dogs	Box lacrosse	NLL	Lee's Family Forum (5,567)		0

Team	Sport	League	Venue (capacity)	Established	Titles
Las Vegas Dream	Basketball	ABA		2023
Las Vegas Royals				2020
Vegas Jesters	Ice hockey	MWHL	City National Arena (600)	2012	0
Las Vegas Thunderbirds		USPHL		2019	0
Las Vegas Legends	Soccer	NPSL	Peter Johann Memorial Field (2,500)	2021	0
Vegas NVaders	Women's football	WFA - D2	Desert Pines High School (N/A)	2023	0

School	Team	League	Division	Primary Conference
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)	UNLV Rebels	NCAA	NCAA Division I	Mountain West
College of Southern Nevada (CSN)	CSN Coyotes	NJCAA	NJCAA Division I	Scenic West

The city's parks and recreation department operates 78 regional, community, neighborhood, and pocket parks; four municipal swimming poools, 11 recreational centers, four active adult centers, eight cultural centers, six galleries, eleven dog parks, and four golf courses: Angel Park Golf Club, Desert Pines Golf Club, Durango Hills Golf Club, and the Las Vegas Municipal Golf Course.^[108]

It is also responsible for 123 playgrounds, 23 softball fields, 10 football fields, 44 soccer fields, 10 dog parks, six community centers, four senior centers, 109 skate parks, and six swimming pools.^[109]

The city of Las Vegas has a council–manager government.^[110] The mayor sits as a council member-at-large and presides over all city council meetings.^[110] If the mayor cannot preside over a city council meeting, then the Mayor pro tempore is the presiding officer of the meeting until the Mayor returns to his/her seat.^[111] The city manager is responsible for the administration and the day-to-day operations of all municipal services and city departments.^[112] The city manager maintains intergovernmental relationships with federal, state, county and other local governments.^[112]

Out of the 2,265,461 people in Clark County as of the 2020 Census, approximately 1,030,000 people live in unincorporated Clark County, and around 650,000 live in incorporated cities such as North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City.^[113] Las Vegas and Clark County share a police department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which was formed after a 1973 merger of the Las Vegas Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Department.^[114] North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Mesquite, UNLV and CCSD have their own police departments.^[115]

The federally-recognized Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians (Southern Paiute: Nuvagantucimi) occupies a 31-acre (130,000 m²) reservation just north downtown between Interstate-15 and Main Street.^{[116][117][118]}

Downtown is the location of Lloyd D. George Federal District Courthouse^[119] and the Regional Justice Center,^[120] draws numerous companies providing bail, marriage, divorce, tax, incorporation and other legal services.

Name	Position	Party	References	Notes
Shelley Berkley	Mayor	Democratic	[121]
Brian Knudsen	1st Ward Council member	Democratic	[122][123]	Mayor Pro Tem
Victoria Seaman	2nd Ward Council member	Republican	[124][123]
Olivia Diaz	3rd Ward Council member	Democratic	[125][123]
Francis Allen-Palenske	4th Ward Council member	Republican
Shondra Summers-Armstrong	5th Ward Council member	Democratic	[126]
Nancy Brune	6th Ward Council member	Democratic

Primary and secondary public education is provided by the Clark County School District.^[127]

Public higher education is provided by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Public institutions serving Las Vegas include the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), Nevada State University (NSU), and the Desert Research Institute (DRI).^[128]

UNLV is a public, land-grant, R1 research university and is home to the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine^[129] and the William S. Boyd School of Law, the only law school in Nevada.^[130] The university's campus is urban and located about two miles east of the Las Vegas strip. The Desert Research Institute's southern campus sits next to UNLV, while its northern campus is in Reno.^[131]

CSN, with campuses throughout Clark County,^[132] is a community college with one of the largest enrollments in the United States.^[133] In unincorporated Clark County, CSN's Charleston campus is home to the headquarters of Nevada Public Radio (KNPR), an NPR member station.^[134][135]

Touro University Nevada located in Henderson is a non-profit, private institution primarily focusing on medical education.^[136] Other institutions include a number of for-profit private schools (e.g., Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, DeVry University, among others).^[137]

• Las Vegas Review-Journal, the area's largest daily newspaper, is published every morning. It was formed in 1909 but has roots back to 1905. It is the largest newspaper in Nevada and is ranked as one of the top 25 newspapers in the United States by circulation. In 2000, the Review-Journal installed the largest newspaper printing press in the world. It cost $40 million, weighs 910 tons and consists of 16 towers.^[138] Until his death in January 2021, the newspaper was owned by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who purchased it for $140 million in December 2015. In 2018, the Review-Journal received the Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for reporting the Oct 1 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2018 and 2022, Editor and Publisher magazine named the Review-Journal as one of 10 newspapers in the United States "doing it right."^[139][140]
• Las Vegas Sun, based in neighboring Henderson, is a daily newspaper. Although independently published, the print edition is distributed as a section inside the Review-Journal. The Sun is owned by the Greenspun family and is part of the Greenspun Media Group. It was founded independently in 1950 and in 1989 entered into a Joint Operating Agreement with the Review-Journal, which runs through 2040. The Sun has been described as "politically liberal."^[141] In 2009, the Sun was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of the high death rate of construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip amid lax enforcement of regulations.^[142][143]
• Las Vegas Weekly, based in neighboring Henderson, is a free alternative weekly newspaper. It covers Las Vegas arts, entertainment, culture and news. Las Vegas Weekly was founded in 1992 and is published by the Greenspun Media Group.

Las Vegas is served by 10 full power television stations and 46 radio stations. The area is also served by two NOAA Weather Radio transmitters (162.55 MHz located in Boulder City and 162.40 MHz located on Potosi Mountain).

• Radio stations in Las Vegas
• Television stations in Las Vegas

• Desert Companion
• Las Vegas Weekly
• Luxury Las Vegas

RTC Transit is a public transportation system providing bus service throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and other areas of the valley. Inter-city bus service to and from Las Vegas is provided by Greyhound, BoltBus, Orange Belt Stages, Tufesa, and several smaller carriers.^[144]

Amtrak trains have not served Las Vegas since the service via the Desert Wind at Las Vegas station ceased in 1997, but Amtrak California operates Amtrak Thruway dedicated service between the city and its passenger rail stations in Bakersfield, California, as well as Los Angeles Union Station via Barstow.^[145]

High-speed rail project Brightline West began construction in 2024 to connect Brightline's Las Vegas station and the Rancho Cucamonga station in Greater Los Angeles.^[146]

The Las Vegas Monorail on the Strip was privately built, and upon bankruptcy taken over by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.^[147]

Silver Rider Transit operates three routes within Las Vegas, offering connections to Laughlin,^[148] Mesquite,^[149] and Sandy Valley.^[150]

The Union Pacific Railroad is the only Class I railroad providing rail freight service to the city. Until 1997, the Amtrak Desert Wind train service ran through Las Vegas using the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

In March 2010, the RTC launched bus rapid transit link in Las Vegas called the Strip & Downtown Express with limited stops and frequent service that connects downtown Las Vegas, the Strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center. Shortly after the launch, the RTC dropped the ACE name.^[151]

In 2016, 77.1 percent of working Las Vegas residents (those living in the city, but not necessarily working in the city) commuted by driving alone. About 11 percent commuted via carpool, 3.9 percent used public transportation, and 1.4 percent walked. About 2.3 percent of Las Vegas commuters used all other forms of transportation, including taxi, bicycle, and motorcycle. About 4.3% of working Las Vegas residents worked at home.^[152] In 2015, 10.2 percent of city of Las Vegas households were without a car, which increased slightly to 10.5 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Las Vegas averaged 1.63 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.

With some exceptions, including Las Vegas Boulevard, Boulder Highway (SR 582) and Rancho Drive (SR 599), the majority of surface streets in Las Vegas are laid out in a grid along Public Land Survey System section lines. Many are maintained by the Nevada Department of Transportation as state highways. The street numbering system is divided by the following streets:

• Westcliff Drive, US 95 Expressway, Fremont Street and Charleston Boulevard divide the north–south block numbers from west to east.
• Las Vegas Boulevard divides the east–west streets from the Las Vegas Strip to near the Stratosphere, then Main Street becomes the dividing line from the Stratosphere to the North Las Vegas border, after which the Goldfield Street alignment divides east and west.
• On the east side of Las Vegas, block numbers between Charleston Boulevard and Washington Avenue are different along Nellis Boulevard, which is the eastern border of the city limits.

Interstates 15, 11, and US 95 lead out of the city in four directions. Two major freeways – Interstate 15 and Interstate 11/U.S. Route 95 – cross in downtown Las Vegas. I-15 connects Las Vegas to Los Angeles, and heads northeast to and beyond Salt Lake City. I-11 goes northwest to the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Reservation and southeast to Henderson and to the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, where from this point I-11 will eventually continue along US 93 towards Phoenix, Arizona. US 95 (and eventually I-11) connects the city to northwestern Nevada, including Carson City and Reno. US 93 splits from I-15 northeast of Las Vegas and goes north through the eastern part of the state, serving Ely and Wells. US 95 heads south from US 93 near Henderson through far eastern California. A partial beltway has been built, consisting of Interstate 215 on the south and Clark County 215 on the west and north. Other radial routes include Blue Diamond Road (SR 160) to Pahrump and Lake Mead Boulevard (SR 147) to Lake Mead.

East–west roads, north to south^[153]

North–south roads, west to east

Harry Reid International Airport handles international and domestic flights into the Las Vegas Valley. The airport also serves private aircraft and freight/cargo flights. Most general aviation traffic uses the smaller North Las Vegas Airport and Henderson Executive Airport.

• 2017 Las Vegas shooting
• List of films set in Las Vegas
• List of films shot in Las Vegas
• List of Las Vegas casinos that never opened
• List of mayors of Las Vegas
• List of television shows set in Las Vegas
• Radio stations in Las Vegas
• Television stations in Las Vegas

• Brigham, Jay. "Review: 'Reno, Las Vegas, and the Strip: A Tale of Three Cities'." Western Historical Quarterly 46.4 (2015): 529–530. JSTOR westhistquar.46.4.0529.
• Chung, Su Kim (2012). Las Vegas Then and Now, Holt: Thunder Bay Press, ISBN 978-1-60710-582-4
• Moehring, Eugene P. Resort City in the Sunbelt: Las Vegas, 1930–2000 (2000).
• Moehring, Eugene, "The Urban Impact: Towns and Cities in Nevada's History," Nevada Historical Society Quarterly 57 (Fall/Winter 2014): 177–200.
• Rowley, Rex J. Everyday Las Vegas: Local Life in a Tourist Town (2013)
• Stierli, Martino (2013). Las Vegas in the Rearview Mirror: The City in Theory, Photography, and Film, Los Angeles: Getty Publications, ISBN 978-1-60606-137-4
• Venturi, Robert (1972). Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form, Cambridge: MIT Press, ISBN 978-0-26272-006-9

• Official website
• "The Making of Las Vegas"^{[dead link‍]} (historical timeline)
• Geologic tour guide of the Las Vegas area from American Geological Institute
• National Weather Service Forecast – Las Vegas, NV

 

It has been suggested that Southern Nevada be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2025.

 

Nevada
State
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  The Silver State (official); The Sagebrush State; The Battle Born State
Motto:  All for Our Country
Anthem: "Home Means Nevada"
Location of Nevada within the United States
Country	United States
Before statehood	Nevada Territory, Utah Territory, Arizona Territory
Admitted to the Union	October 31, 1864 (36th)
Capital	Carson City
Largest city	Las Vegas
Largest county or equivalent	Clark
Largest metro and urban areas	Las Vegas Valley
Government
• Governor	Joe Lombardo (R)
• Lieutenant Governor	Stavros Anthony (R)
Legislature	Nevada Legislature
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Assembly
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Nevada
U.S. senators	Catherine Cortez Masto (D) Jacky Rosen (D)
U.S. House delegation	3 Democrats 1 Republican (list)
Area
• Total	110,577 sq mi (286,382 km2)
• Land	109,781.18 sq mi (284,332 km2)
• Water	791 sq mi (2,048 km2)  0.72%
• Rank	7th
Dimensions
• Length	492 mi (787 km)
• Width	322 mi (519 km)
Elevation	5,500 ft (1,680 m)
Highest elevation (Boundary Peak[1][2][a][b])	13,147 ft (4,007.1 m)
Lowest elevation (Colorado River at California border[2][a])	481 ft (147 m)
Population  (2024)
• Total	3,267,467[3]
• Rank	32nd
• Density	26.8/sq mi (10.3/km2)
• Rank	42nd
• Median household income	$76,400 (2023)[4]
• Income rank	24th
Demonym	Nevadan
Language
• Official language	None
Time zones
most of state	UTC−08:00 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00 (PDT)
West Wendover	UTC−07:00 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
USPS abbreviation	NV
ISO 3166 code	US-NV
Traditional abbreviation	Nev.
Latitude	35° N to 42° N
Longitude	114°ÃƒÆ’ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã… 2′ W to 120° W
Website	nv.gov

State symbols of Nevada

List of state symbols
Song	Home Means Nevada
Living insignia
Bird	Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides)
Fish	Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi)
Flower	Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
Grass	Indian Rice Grass
Insect	Vivid Dancer Damselfly (Argia vivida)
Mammal	Desert bighorn sheep
Reptile	Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Tree	Bristlecone pine, Single-leaf Piñon (Pinus monophylla)
Inanimate insignia
Color(s)	Silver, Blue
Fossil	Ichthyosaur (Shonisaurus popularis)
Gemstone	Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal
Mineral	Silver
Rock	Sandstone
Soil	Orovada series
Other	Element: Neon
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2006
Lists of United States state symbols

Nevada (/nəˈvædÉ™, -vɑː-/ ^{ⓘ} nÉ™-VAD-É™, -⁠VAH-;^[5][6] Spanish: [neˈβaða]) is a landlocked state in the Western United States.^[c] It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, the 32nd-most populous, and the ninth-least densely populated U.S. state. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada's population live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area,^[7] including three of the state's four largest incorporated cities.^[8] Nevada's capital is Carson City. Las Vegas is the largest city in the state.

Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" because of the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the "Battle Born State" because it achieved statehood during the Civil War (the words "Battle Born" also appear on its state flag); due to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, the Union benefited immensely from the support of newly awarded statehood by the infusion of the monetary support of nearly $400 million in silver ore generated at the time by the Comstock Lode.^[9] It is also known as the "Sagebrush State", for the native plant of the same name; and as the "Sage-hen State".^[10] The state's name means "snowy" in Spanish, referring to Nevada's small overlap with the Sierra Nevada mountain range; however, the rest of Nevada is largely desert and semi-arid, much of it within the Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada lie on the western edge. In 2020, 80.1% of the state's land was managed by various jurisdictions of the U.S. federal government, both civilian and military.^[11]

Native Americans of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes inhabit what is now Nevada. The first Europeans to explore the region were Spanish. They called the region Nevada (snowy) because of the snow which covered the mountains in winter, similar to the Sierra Nevada in Spain. The area formed from mostly Alta California and part of Nuevo México's territory within the Viceroyalty of New Spain, which gained independence as Mexico in 1821. The United States annexed the area in 1848 after its victory in the Mexican–American War, and it was incorporated as part of the New Mexico and Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom that became an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864, as the second of two states added to the Union during the Civil War (the first being West Virginia).^[12]

Nevada is known for its libertarian laws. In 1940, with a population of just over 110,000 people, Nevada was by far the least-populated state, with less than half the population of the next least-populous state, Wyoming.^[13] However, legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce laws transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination in the 20th century.^[14][15] Nevada is the only U.S. state where prostitution is legal, though it is illegal in its most populated regions – Clark County (Las Vegas), Washoe County (Reno) and Carson City (which, as an independent city, is not within the boundaries of any county). The tourism industry remains Nevada's largest employer,^[16] with mining continuing as a substantial sector of the economy: Nevada is the fourth-largest producer of gold in the world.^[17] It is the driest state. Droughts in Nevada, which are influenced by climate change, have been increasing in frequency and severity,^[18] putting a further strain on Nevada's water security.

The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish adjective nevada ([neˈβaða]), meaning "snow-covered" or "snowy".^[19] The state takes its name from the Nevada Territory, which in turn was named for the Sierra Nevada.^[20]

Nevadans pronounce the second syllable with the "a" of "apple" (/nəˈvædÉ™/) while some people from outside of the state pronounce it with the "a" of "palm" (/nəˈvɑːdÉ™/).^[21] Although the quality, but not the length, of the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation (Spanish /a/ is open central [ä],^[22] whereas American English /ɑː/ varies from back [ɑː] to central [äː]),^[23] it is not the pronunciation used by Nevadans. State Assemblyman Harry Mortenson proposed a bill to recognize the alternative pronunciation of Nevada,^[24] though the bill was not supported by most legislators and never received a vote. The Nevadan pronunciation is the one used by the state legislature. At one time, the state's official tourism organization, TravelNevada, stylized the name of the state as "Nevăda", with a breve over the a indicating the locally preferred pronunciation,^[25] which was also available as a license plate design until 2007.^[26]

Before the arrival of Europeans, the earliest inhabitants were Indigenous tribes including the Goshute, Southern Paiute, Mohave, and Wašišiw (Washoe people).^[27][28]

Francisco Garcés was the first European in the area.^[29] Nevada was annexed as a part of the Spanish Empire in the northwestern territory of New Spain. Administratively, the area of Nevada was part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Nevada became a part of Alta California (Upper California) province in 1804 when the Californias were split. With the Mexican War of Independence won in 1821, the province of Alta California became a territory (state) of Mexico, with a small population.

Jedediah Smith entered the Las Vegas Valley in 1827, Peter Skene Ogden traveled the Humboldt River in 1828, and in 1829 a merchant from Nuevo México named Antonio Armijo streamlined travel along the Old Spanish Trail. Chronicling Armijo's route his scout Raphael Rivera was the first to name Las Vegas, in an 1830 report to governor José Antonio Chaves. Following the suggestions by Rivera of a spring, on the published expedition's map, located in the Las Vegas area John C. Frémont set up camp in Las Vegas Springs in 1844. In 1847, Mormons established the State of Deseret, claiming all of Nevada within the Great Basin and the Colorado watershed. They built the first permanent settlement in what is now Nevada, called Mormon Station (now Genoa), in 1851. Additionally, in June 1855, William Bringhurst and 29 other Mormon missionaries built the first permanent structure, a 150-foot square adobe fort, northeast of downtown Las Vegas, converging on the Spanish and Mormon Roads. The fort remained under Salt Lake City's control until the winter of 1858–1859, and the route remained largely under the control of Salt Lake City and Santa Fe tradespersons.

As such, these pioneers laid the foundation for the emergence of the initial settlements between the Sierra Nevadas and Mojave Desert and within the Las Vegas Valley. The enduring influence of New Mexico and Utah culture has since profoundly impacted Nevada's identity, manifesting through New Mexican cuisine and Mormon foodways or New Mexican and Mormon folk musics, into the fabric of Nevada's own cultural landscape.

As a result of the Mexican–American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico permanently lost Alta California in 1848. The new areas acquired by the United States continued to be administered as territories. As part of the Mexican Cession (1848) and the subsequent California Gold Rush that used Emigrant Trails through the area, the state's area evolved first as part of the Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory, then the Nevada Territory (March 2, 1861; named for the Sierra Nevada).^[30]

The first discovery of a major U.S. deposit of silver ore occurred in Comstock Lode under Virginia City, Nevada, in 1859.

On March 2, 1861, the Nevada Territory separated from the Utah Territory and adopted its current name, shortened from The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snow-covered mountain range"). The 1861 southern boundary is commemorated by Nevada Historical Markers 57 and 58 in Lincoln and Nye counties.

Eight days before the presidential election of 1864, Nevada became the 36th state in the Union, despite lacking the minimum 60,000 residents that Congress typically required a potential state to have in order to become a state.^[31] At the time, Nevada's population was little more than 40,000.^[32] Governor Nye was frustrated that previous attempts to send the constitution via overland mail and by sea had failed by October 24, so on October 26 the full text was sent by telegraph at a cost of $4,303.27^[33][d] – the most costly telegraph on file at the time for a single dispatch, equivalent to $86,514.04 in 2024. Finally, the response from Washington came on October 31, 1864: "the pain is over, the child is born, Nevada this day was admitted into the Union". Statehood was rushed to the date of October 31 to help ensure Abraham Lincoln's reelection on November 8 and post-Civil War Republican dominance in Congress,^[34] as Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union. As it turned out, however, Lincoln and the Republicans won the election handily and did not need Nevada's help.

Nevada is one of only two states to significantly expand its borders after admission to the Union, with the other being Missouri, which acquired additional territory in 1837 due to the Platte Purchase. In 1866 another part of the western Utah Territory was added to Nevada in the eastern part of the state, setting the current eastern boundary. Nevada achieved its current southern boundaries on January 18, 1867, when it absorbed the portion of Pah-Ute County in the Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River, essentially all of present-day Nevada south of the 37th parallel. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and officials thought Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes all of what is now Clark County and the southern-most portions of Esmeralda, Lincoln, and Nye counties.^[35]

Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years (see Silver mining in Nevada). When Mark Twain lived in Nevada during the period described in Roughing It, mining had led to an industry of speculation and immense wealth. Both mining and population temporarily declined in the late 19th century. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900, followed by strikes in Goldfield and Rhyolite, created a second mining boom in Nevada and Nevada's population.

Unregulated gambling was commonplace in the early Nevada mining towns but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nationwide anti-gambling crusade. Because of subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great Depression, Nevada again legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. Governor Fred B. Balzar's signature enacted the most liberal divorce laws in the country and open gambling. The reforms came just eight days after the federal government presented the $49 million construction contract for Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam).^[37]

The Nevada Test Site, 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site consists of about 1,350 square miles (3,500 km²) of the desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a 1 kiloton of TNT (4.2 TJ) nuclear bomb dropped on Frenchman Flat on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962, and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for having the highest concentration of nuclear-detonated weapons in the U.S.

Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. This is mainly because homesteads were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of ranching still prevails).

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in Nevada on March 5, 2020. Because of concerns about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Nevada governor Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency on March 12, 2020. Four days later, Nevada reported its first death. On March 17, 2020, Sisolak ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in the state to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Various protests were held against Sisolak's shutdown order beginning in April 2020. Nevada launched the first phase of its reopening on May 9, 2020. Restaurants, retailers, outdoor malls, and hair salons were among the businesses allowed to reopen, but with precautions in place, such as limiting occupancy to 50 percent. A second phase went into effect on May 29, 2020. It allowed for the reopening of state parks and businesses such as bars, gyms, and movie theaters. Casinos began reopening on June 4, 2020.

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Nevada is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province and is broken up by many north–south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them.

Much of the northern part of the state is within the Great Basin, a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the Arizona Monsoon will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was 125 °F (52 °C) in Laughlin (elevation of 605 feet or 184 meters) on June 29, 1994.^[38] The coldest recorded temperature was −52 °F (−47 °C) set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.^[38]

The Humboldt River crosses the state from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the Humboldt Sink near Lovelock. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the Walker, Truckee, and Carson rivers. All of these rivers are endorheic basins, ending in Walker Lake, Pyramid Lake, and the Carson Sink, respectively. However, not all of Nevada is within the Great Basin. Tributaries of the Snake River drain the far north, while the Colorado River, which also forms much of the boundary with Arizona, drains much of southern Nevada.

The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above 13,000 feet (4,000 m), harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than 3,000 feet (910 m), while some in central Nevada are above 6,000 feet (1,800 m).

The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the Mojave Desert. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below 4,000 feet (1,200 m), creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights.

Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal line (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state boundary at just over 400 miles (640 km). This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 12 miles (19 km) southwest of the Laughlin Bridge.

The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the Spring Mountain Range, just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.

Nevada has 172 mountain summits with 2,000 feet (610 m) of prominence. Nevada ranks second, after Alaska, for the greatest number of mountains in the United States, followed by California, Montana, and Washington.^[39]

Nevada is the driest state in the United States.^[40] It is made up of mostly desert and semi-arid climate regions, and, with the exception of the Las Vegas Valley, the average summer diurnal temperature range approaches 40 °F (22 °C) in much of the state. While winters in northern Nevada are long and fairly cold, the winter season in the southern part of the state tends to be of short duration and mild. Most parts of Nevada receive scarce precipitation during the year. The most rain that falls in the state falls on the east and northeast slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

The average annual rainfall per year is about 7 inches (180 mm); the wettest parts get around 40 inches (1,000 mm). Nevada's highest recorded temperature is 125 °F (52 °C) at Laughlin on June 29, 1994, and the lowest recorded temperature is −50 °F (−46 °C) at San Jacinto on January 8, 1937. Nevada's 125 °F (52 °C) reading is the third highest statewide record high temperature of a U.S. state, just behind Arizona's 128 °F (53 °C) reading and California's 134 °F (57 °C) reading.

Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Nevada^[41]

Location	July (°F)		July (°C)		December (°F)		December (°C)
	Max	Min	Max	Min	Max	Min	Max	Min
Las Vegas	106	81	41	27	56	38	13	3
Reno	92	57	33	14	45	25	7	–4
Carson City	89	52	32	11	45	22	7	–5
Elko	90	50	32	10	37	14	2	–9
Fallon	92	54	33	12	45	19	7	–7
Winnemucca	93	52	34	11	41	17	5	–8
Laughlin	112	80	44	27	65	43	18	6

The vegetation of Nevada is diverse and differs by state area. Nevada contains six biotic zones: alpine, sub-alpine, ponderosa pine, pinion-juniper, sagebrush and creosotebush.^[42]

Nevada is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality, meaning it legally functions as both a city and a county. As of 1919, there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from 146 to 18,159 square miles (380 to 47,030 km²).

Lake County, one of the original nine counties formed in 1861, was renamed Roop County in 1862. Part of the county became Lassen County, California, in 1864, resolving border uncertainty. In 1883, Washoe County annexed the portion that remained in Nevada.^[43]

In 1969, Ormsby County was dissolved and the Consolidated Municipality of Carson City was created by the Legislature in its place coterminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.

Bullfrog County was formed in 1987 from part of Nye County. After the creation was declared unconstitutional, the county was abolished in 1989.^[43]

Humboldt County was designated as a county in 1856 by Utah Territorial Legislature and again in 1861 by the new Nevada Legislature.

Clark County is the most populous county in Nevada, accounting for nearly three-quarters of its residents. Las Vegas, Nevada's most populous city, has been the county seat since the county was created in 1909 from a portion of Lincoln County, Nevada. Before that, it was a part of Arizona Territory. Clark County attracts numerous tourists: An estimated 44 million people visited Clark County in 2014.^[44]

Washoe County is the second-most populous county of Nevada. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.

Lyon County is the third most populous county. It was one of the nine original counties created in 1861. It was named after Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General to be killed in the Civil War. Its current county seat is Yerington. Its first county seat was established at Dayton on November 29, 1861.^[45]

Nevada counties

County name	County seat	Year founded	2022 population[46]	Percent of total	Area		Percent of total	Population density
					sq mi	km2		per sq mi	per km2
Carson City	Carson City	1861	58,130	1.83 %	157	410	0.14 %	370.25	142.95
Churchill	Fallon	1861	25,843	0.81 %	5,024	13,010	4.54 %	5.14	1.98
Clark	Las Vegas	1908	2,322,985	73.10 %	8,061	20,880	7.29 %	288.18	111.27
Douglas	Minden	1861	49,628	1.56 %	738	1,910	0.67 %	67.25	25.97
Elko	Elko	1869	54,046	1.70 %	17,203	44,560	15.56 %	3.14	1.21
Esmeralda	Goldfield	1861	744	0.02 %	3,589	9,300	3.25 %	0.21	0.081
Eureka	Eureka	1869	1,863	0.06 %	4,180	10,800	3.78 %	0.45	0.17
Humboldt	Winnemucca	1856/1861	17,272	0.54 %	9,658	25,010	8.73 %	1.79	0.69
Lander	Battle Mountain	1861	5,766	0.18 %	5,519	14,290	4.99 %	1.04	0.40
Lincoln	Pioche	1867	4,482	0.14 %	10,637	27,550	9.62 %	0.42	0.16
Lyon	Yerington	1861	61,585	1.94 %	2,024	5,240	1.83 %	30.43	11.75
Mineral	Hawthorne	1911	4,525	0.14 %	3,813	9,880	3.45 %	1.19	0.46
Nye	Tonopah	1864	54,738	1.72 %	18,199	47,140	16.46 %	3.01	1.16
Pershing	Lovelock	1919	6,462	0.20 %	6,067	15,710	5.49 %	1.07	0.41
Storey	Virginia City	1861	4,170	0.13 %	264	680	0.24 %	15.80	6.10
Washoe	Reno	1861	496,745	15.63 %	6,542	16,940	5.92 %	75.93	29.32
White Pine	Ely	1869	8,788	0.28 %	8,897	23,040	8.05 %	0.99	0.38
Totals	Counties: 17		3,177,772		110,572	286,380		28.74	11.10

• Basin and Range National Monument
• Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area
• California National Historic Trail
• Great Basin National Park
• Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
• Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

• Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve
• Avi Kwa Ame National Monument
• Basin and Range National Monument
• Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park
• Death Valley National Park
• Desert National Wildlife Refuge
• Gold Butte National Monument
• Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
• Inyo National Forest
• Lake Mead National Recreation Area
• Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge
• Mount Charleston and the Mount Charleston Wilderness
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
• Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
• Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area
• Spring Mountains and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
• Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

There are 68 designated wilderness areas in Nevada, protecting some 6,579,014 acres (2,662,433 ha) under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management.^[48]

The Nevada state parks comprise protected areas managed by the state of Nevada, including state parks, state historic sites, and state recreation areas. There are 24 state park units, including Van Sickle Bi-State Park which opened in July 2011 and is operated in partnership with the adjacent state of California.^[49]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	6,857		—
1870	42,941		526.2%
1880	62,266		45.0%
1890	47,355		−23.9%
1900	42,335		−10.6%
1910	81,875		93.4%
1920	77,407		−5.5%
1930	91,058		17.6%
1940	110,247		21.1%
1950	160,083		45.2%
1960	285,278		78.2%
1970	488,738		71.3%
1980	800,493		63.8%
1990	1,201,833		50.1%
2000	1,998,257		66.3%
2010	2,700,551		35.1%
2020	3,104,614		15.0%
2024 (est.)	3,267,467		5.2%
Source: 1910–2020[50]

The United States Census Bureau determined Nevada had a population of 3,104,614 at the 2020 U.S. census. In 2022, the estimated population of Nevada was 3,177,772, an increase of 73,158 residents (2.36%) since the 2020 census.^[51] Nevada had the highest percentage growth in population from 2017 to 2018. At the 2020 census, 6.0% of the state's population were reported as under 5, 22.5% were under 18, and 16.1% were 65 or older. Females made up about 49.8% of the population. 19.1% of the population was reported as foreign-born.

Since the 2020 census, the population of Nevada had a natural increase of 2,374 (the net difference between 42,076 births and 39,702 deaths); and an increase due to net migration of 36,605 (of which 34,280 was due to domestic and 2,325 was due to international migration).^[52]

The center of population of Nevada is in southern Nye County.^[53] In this county, the unincorporated town of Pahrump, 60 miles (97 km) west of Las Vegas on the California state line, has grown very rapidly from 1980 to 2020. At the 2020 census, the town had 44,738 residents.^[54] Las Vegas grew from a gulch of 100 people in 1900 to 10,000 by 1950 to 100,000 by 1970, and was America's fastest-growing city and metropolitan area from 1960 to 2000.

From about the 1940s until 2003, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the U.S. percentage-wise. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased by 66%, while the nation's population increased by 13%. More than two-thirds of the population live in Clark County, which is coextensive with the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Thus, in terms of population, Nevada is one of the most centralized states in the nation.

Henderson and North Las Vegas are among the top 20 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations over 100,000. The rural community of Mesquite 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Las Vegas was an example of micropolitan growth in the 1990s and 2000s. Other desert towns like Indian Springs and Searchlight on the outskirts of Las Vegas have seen some growth as well.

Since 1950, the rate of population born in Nevada has never peaked above 27 percent, the lowest rate of all states. In 2012, only 25% of Nevadans were born in Nevada.^[55]

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 7,618 homeless people in Nevada.^[56][57]

Nevada – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2000[58]	Pop 2010[59]	Pop 2020[60]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	1,303,001	1,462,081	1,425,952	65.21%	54.14%	45.93%
Black or African American alone (NH)	131,509	208,058	291,960	6.58%	7.70%	9.40%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	21,397	23,536	23,392	1.07%	0.87%	0.75%
Asian alone (NH)	88,593	191,047	265,991	4.43%	7.07%	8.57%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	7,769	15,456	22,970	0.39%	0.57%	0.74%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	2,787	4,740	17,171	0.14%	0.18%	0.55%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	49,231	79,132	166,921	2.46%	2.93%	5.38%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	393,970	716,501	890,257	19.72%	26.53%	28.68%
Total	1,998,257	2,700,551	3,104,614	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census

Race and Ethnicity[61]	Alone		Total
White (non-Hispanic)	45.9%	45.9	50.6%	50.6
Hispanic or Latino[e]	—		28.7%	28.7
Multiracial	—		14.0%	14
African American (non-Hispanic)	9.4%	9.4	11.1%	11.1
Asian	8.6%	8.6	10.7%	10.7
Native American	0.8%	0.8	2.1%	2.1
Pacific Islander	0.7%	0.7	1.5%	1.5
Other	0.6%	0.6	1.4%	1.4

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, 30.3% of Nevada's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (22%), Cuban (1.5%), Salvadoran (1.5%), Puerto Rican (1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (4.3%).^[62] The largest European ancestry groups were: German (8.9%), English (8.1%), Irish (7.2%), and Italian (4.8%).^[63] The largest Asian ancestry groups in the state were Filipino (6.4%) and Chinese (1.9%).^[64]

In 1980, non-Hispanic whites made up 83.2% of the state's population.^[65]

Nevada historical racial composition

Racial composition	1970[65]	1980	1990[65]	2000[66]	2010[67]	2020[68]
White	91.7%	87.5%	84.3%	75.2%	66.2%	51.2%
Black	5.7%	6.4%	6.6%	6.8%	8.1%	9.8%
Asian	0.7%	1.8%	3.2%	4.5%	7.2%	8.8%
Native	1.6%	1.7%	1.6%	1.3%	1.2%	1.4%
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander	–	–	–	0.4%	0.6%	0.8%
Other race	0.3%	2.7%	4.4%	8.0%	12.0%	14.0%
Two or more races	–	–	–	3.8%	4.7%	14.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	5.6%	6.7%	10.4%	19.7%	26.5%	28.7%
Non-Hispanic white	86.7%	83.2%	78.7%	65.2%	54.1%	45.9%

As of 2011, 63.6% of Nevada's population younger than age 1 were minorities.^[69] Las Vegas is a majority-minority city. According to the United States Census Bureau estimates, as of July 1, 2018, non-Hispanic Whites made up 48.7% of Nevada's population.^[70]

In Douglas, Mineral, and Pershing counties, a plurality of residents are of Mexican ancestry. In Nye County and Humboldt County, residents are mostly of German ancestry; Washoe County has many Irish Americans. Americans of English descent form pluralities in Lincoln County, Churchill County, Lyon County, White Pine County, and Eureka County.

Asian Americans have lived in the state since at least the 1850s, when the California gold rush brought thousands of Chinese miners to Washoe County. They were followed by a few hundred Japanese farmworkers in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, many immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam came to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city now has a significant Asian American community, with a mostly Chinese and Taiwanese area known as "Chinatown" west of I-15 on Spring Mountain Road. Filipino Americans form the largest Asian American group in the state, with a population of more than 202,000. They comprise 59.8% of the Asian American population in Nevada and constitute about 6.4% of the entire state's population.^[71]

Mining booms drew many Greek and Eastern European immigrants to Nevada.^[72] In the early twentieth century, Greeks, Slavs, Danes, Japanese, Italians, and Basques poured into Nevada.^[73] Chileans were found in the state as early as 1870.^[74] During the mid-1800s, a significant number of European immigrants, mainly from Ireland, England and Germany, arrived in the state with the intention of capitalizing on the thriving mining sector in the region.^[75]

Native American tribes in Nevada are the Northern and Southern Paiute, Western Shoshone, Goshute, Hualapai, Washoe, and Ute tribes.^[76]

Whites remain the largest racial or ethnic group in Nevada.^[77] Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in Nevada.^[78] There is a growing Mexican and Central American population in Nevada. Many of Nevada's Latino immigrants are from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.^[79] Nevada also has a growing multiracial population.^[80]

The top countries of origin for immigrants in Nevada were Mexico (39.5 percent of immigrants), the Philippines (14.3 percent), El Salvador (5.2 percent), China (3.1 percent), and Cuba (3 percent).^[81]

The majority of people in Nevada are of white (European) ancestry. A small portion trace their ancestry to Basque people recruited as sheepherders. Hispanics in Nevada are mainly of Mexican and Cuban heritage. Latinos comprise about one-fourth of Nevada's residents and are concentrated in the southeast in Nevada. African Americans live mainly in the Las Vegas and Reno area and constitute less than one-tenth of the population. Native Americans of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes live on several reservations in the state and make up a small fraction of Nevada's population.^[82]

The most common ancestries in Nevada include Mexican, German, Irish, English, Italian and Asian.^[83]

Nevada is the third most diverse state in the country, behind only Hawaii and California.^[84][85]

Birth data

Note: Births within the table do not add up, due to Hispanics being counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother

Race	2013[86]	2014[87]	2015[88]	2016[89]	2017[90]	2018[91]	2019[92]	2020[93]	2021[94]	2022[95]
White	27,293 (77.9%)	27,638 (77.1%)	27,648 (76.2%)	...	...	...	...	...	...	...
Non-Hispanic White	14,951 (42.7%)	15,151 (42.2%)	14,937 (41.2%)	13,918 (38.4%)	13,171 (36.8%)	13,021 (36.5%)	12,479 (35.6%)	11,602 (34.5%)	11,800 (35.0%)	10,961 (33.0%)
Black	4,215 (12.0%)	4,603 (12.8%)	4,803 (13.2%)	4,205 (11.6%)	4,471 (12.5%)	4,564 (12.8%)	4,514 (12.9%)	4,533 (13.5%)	4,457 (13.2%)	4,334 (13.1%)
Asian	3,097 (8.8%)	3,145 (8.8%)	3,337 (9.2%)	2,666 (7.3%)	2,685 (7.5%)	2,613 (7.3%)	2,587 (7.4%)	2,467 (7.3%)	2,372 (7.0%)	2,548 (7.7%)
Pacific Islander	...	...	...	308 (0.8%)	322 (0.9%)	340 (1.0%)	372 (1.1%)	358 (1.1%)	331 (1.0%)	358 (1.1%)
American Indian	425 (1.2%)	475 (1.3%)	510 (1.4%)	303 (0.8%)	305 (0.9%)	280 (0.8%)	277 (0.8%)	234 (0.7%)	239 (0.7%)	218 (0.7%)
Hispanic (of any race)	12,718 (36.3%)	13,006 (36.3%)	13,225 (36.4%)	13,391 (36.9%)	13,176 (36.8%)	13,307 (37.3%)	13,238 (37.7%)	12,763 (37.9%)	12,842 (38.1%)	13,019 (39.2%)
Total Nevada	35,030 (100%)	35,861 (100%)	36,298 (100%)	36,260 (100%)	35,756 (100%)	35,682 (100%)	35,072 (100%)	33,653 (100%)	33,686 (100%)	33,193 (100%)

• Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

A small percentage of Nevada's population lives in rural areas. The culture of these places differs significantly from major metropolitan areas. People in these rural counties tend to be native Nevada residents, unlike in the Las Vegas and Reno areas, where the vast majority of the population was born in another state. The rural population is also less diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. Mining plays an important role in the economies of the rural counties, with tourism being less prominent.^[96] Ranching also has a long tradition in rural Nevada.^[97]

Ranked by per capita income in 2020

Rank	Place	Per capita income	County
1	Crystal Bay	$180,334	Washoe
2	Glenbrook	$102,963	Douglas
3	Zephyr Cove	$94,920	Douglas
4	Genoa	$86,185	Douglas
5	Incline Village	$74,294	Washoe
6	Kingsbury	$68,215	Douglas
7	Round Hill Village	$67,659	Douglas
8	East Valley	$67,169	Douglas
9	Summerlin South	$65,633	Clark
10	Mount Charleston	$57,583	Clark

Church attendance in Nevada is among the lowest of all U.S. states. In a 2009 Gallup poll only 30% of Nevadans said they attended church weekly or almost weekly, compared to 42% of all Americans (only four states were found to have a lower attendance rate than Nevada's).^[99] In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 67% of the population were Christian,^[100] reflecting a 1% increase in religiosity from 2014's separate Pew study.^[101]

Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada were, according to the Pew Research Center in 2014: Protestant 35%, Irreligious 28%, Roman Catholic 25%, Latter-day Saints 4%, Jewish 2%, Hindu less than 1%, Buddhist 0.5% and Muslim around 0.2%. Parts of Nevada (in the eastern parts of the state) are situated in the Mormon Corridor.

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church with 451,070; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 175,149; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 45,535; Buddhist congregations 14,727; Baháʼí Faith 1,723; and Muslim 1,700.^[102]

The most common non-English languages spoken in Nevada are Spanish, Tagalog and Chinese.^[103] Indigenous languages of Nevada include Northern Paiute, the Southern Paiute, Shoshone, and Washo.^[104]

The top seven languages spoken in Nevada according to the U.S. Census data are Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Amharic, Arabic, and Thai.^[105]

Historically what is now Nevada has been inhabited mainly by the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe.^[106]

The largest Native American tribes in Nevada according to the 2010 census are listed in the table below:^[107]

Tribal groupings with over 500 members in Nevada in 2010 census

Tribal grouping	American Indian and Alaska Native alone	AIAN in combination with one or more other races	Total AIAN alone or in any combination
Total AIAN population	32062	23883	55945
Cherokee	1824	4376	6200
Paiute	4182	677	4859
Navajo	1926	671	2597
Paiute-Shoshone	2118	170	2288
Mexican American Indian	1222	708	1930
Shoshone	1388	400	1788
Choctaw	597	872	1469
Apache	719	690	1409
Sioux	702	626	1328
Blackfeet	284	877	1161
Te-Moak Tribes of Western Shoshone	1011	118	1129
Washoe	815	130	945
Ojibwe	494	338	832
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony	579	13	592
Iroquois	228	283	511
Tribe not specified	9413	10117	19530

The economy of Nevada is tied to tourism (especially entertainment and gambling related), mining, and cattle ranching. Nevada's industrial outputs are tourism, entertainment, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment. The Bureau of Economic Analysis^[109][110] estimates Nevada's total state product in 2018 was $170 billion.^[111] The state's per capita personal income in 2020 was $53,635, ranking 31st in the nation.^[112] Nevada's state debt in 2012 was calculated to be $7.5 billion, or $3,100 per taxpayer.^[113] As of May 2021, the state's unemployment rate was 7.8%.^[114]

In portions of the state outside of the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas mining plays a major economic role. By value, gold is by far the most important mineral mined. In 2022, 4,040,000 troy ounces (126 t) of gold worth $7.3 billion were mined in Nevada, and the state accounted for 4% of world gold production. Other minerals mined in Nevada include construction aggregates, copper, gypsum, diatomite and lithium.^[115][116] Despite its rich deposits, the cost of mining in Nevada is generally high, and output is very sensitive to world commodity prices.

Cattle ranching is a major economic activity in rural Nevada.^[117] Nevada's agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, alfalfa, dairy products, onions, and potatoes. In 2020, there were an estimated 438,511 head of cattle and 71,699 head of sheep in Nevada.^[118] Most of these animals forage on rangeland in the summer, with supplemental feed in the winter. Calves are generally shipped to out-of-state feedlots in the fall to be fattened for the market. Over 90% of Nevada's 653,891 acres (264,620 ha) of cropland is used to grow hay, mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed.^[118]

The largest employers in the state, as of the first fiscal quarter of 2011, are the following, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation:^[119]

Rank	Employer
1	Clark County School District
2	Washoe County School District
3	Clark County
4	Wynn Las Vegas
5	Bellagio LLC
6	MGM Grand Hotel/Casino
7	Aria Resort & Casino LLC
8	Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
9	Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
10	Caesars Palace
11	University of Nevada, Las Vegas
12	The Venetian Casino Resort
13	The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
14	The Mirage Casino-Hotel
15	University of Nevada, Reno
16	University Medical Center of Southern Nevada
17	The Palazzo Casino Resort
18	Flamingo Las Vegas Operating Company LLC
19	Encore Las Vegas
20	Luxor Las Vegas

Amtrak's California Zephyr train uses the Union Pacific's original transcontinental railroad line in daily service from Chicago to Emeryville, California, serving Elko, Winnemucca, and Reno. Las Vegas has had no passenger train service since Amtrak's Desert Wind was discontinued in 1997. Amtrak Thruway buses provide connecting service from Las Vegas to trains at Needles, California, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, California; and from Stateline, Nevada, to Sacramento, California. There have been a number of proposals to re-introduce service to either Los Angeles or Southern California with the privately run Brightline West having begun construction in 2024.

The Union Pacific Railroad has some railroads in the north and south of Nevada. Greyhound Lines provide some bus service to the state.

Interstate 15 (I-15) passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. I-215 and I-515 also serve the Las Vegas metropolitan area. I-80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, roughly following the path of the Humboldt River from Utah in the east and the Truckee River westward through Reno into California. It has a spur route, I-580. Nevada also is served by several U.S. highways: US 6, US 50, US 93, US 95 and US 395. There are also 189 Nevada state routes. Many of Nevada's counties have a system of county routes as well, though many are not signed or paved in rural areas. Nevada is one of a few states in the U.S. that do not have a continuous interstate highway linking its two major population centers – the road connection between the Las Vegas and Reno areas is a combination of several different Interstate and U.S. highways. The Interstate 11 proposed routing may eventually remedy this.^[120]

The state is one of just a few in the country to allow semi-trailer trucks with three trailers – what might be called a "road train" in Australia. But American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.

RTC Transit is the public transit system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The agency is the largest transit agency in the state and operates a network of bus service across the Las Vegas Valley, including the use of The Deuce, double-decker buses, on the Las Vegas Strip and several outlying routes. RTC RIDE operates a system of local transit bus service throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit systems in the state include Carson City's JAC. Most other counties in the state do not have public transportation at all.

Additionally, a 4-mile (6.4 km) monorail system provides public transportation in the Las Vegas area. The Las Vegas Monorail line services several casino properties and the Las Vegas Convention Center on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, running near Paradise Road, with a possible future extension to Harry Reid International Airport. Several hotels also run their own monorail lines between each other, which are typically several blocks in length.

Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is the busiest airport serving Nevada. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (formerly known as the Reno Cannon International Airport) is the other major airport in the state.

External image
Map of Nevada electricity grid

Nevada has had a thriving solar energy sector. An independent study in 2013 concluded that solar users created a $36 million net benefit. However, in December 2015, the Public Utility Commission let the state's only power company, NV Energy, charge higher rates and fees to solar panel users, leading to an immediate collapse of rooftop solar panel use.^[121]

In December 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to designate Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository as the only site to be characterized as a permanent repository for all of the nation's highly radioactive waste.^[122]

In 2018, the National Low Income Housing Coalition calculated the discrepancy between available affordable housing units and renters who earn below the poverty line. In Nevada, only 15 affordable rental homes are available per 100 extremely low income (ELI) households.^[123] The shortage extended to a deficit in supply of 71,358 affordable rental homes. This was the largest discrepancy of any state. The most notable catalyst for this shortage was the Great Recession and housing crisis of 2007 and 2008. Since then, housing prices have increased while demand has increased, and supply has struggled to match the increase in demand. In addition, low-income service workers were slowly being pushed out by an influx of tech professionals. In Nevada there is essentially a standard of six-figure income to affordably rent a single-family home.^[124] Considering the average salary in Nevada, $54,842 per year, this standard is on average, unaffordable.^[125] The disproportionate cost of housing compared to average salary has led to 112,872 renters to be paying more than half of their yearly income towards housing.^[126]

The definition of an affordable home is "one that a household can obtain for 30 percent or less of its annual income". So, there is clearly a long way to go in order to close the gap between housing prices and relative income in the state. Renters are looking for solutions to still be able to live in the state in a way that their income can support. As a result, single adults are being forced to split rent with other renters or move residences to farther outside metro areas. One solution being offered is to increase the supply of higher income positions within the state to make things more affordable. However, this would require Nevadans to retrain in new jobs or careers.

Education in Nevada is achieved through public and private elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as colleges and universities.

A May 2015 educational reform law expanded school choice options to 450,000 Nevada students who are at up to 185% of the federal poverty level. Education savings accounts (ESAs) are enabled by the new law to help pay the tuition for private schools. Alternatively, families "can use funds in these accounts to also pay for textbooks and tutoring".^[127][128]

Approximately 86.9% of Nevada residents have attained at least a high school degree or equivalent, which is below the national average of 88.6%.^[129]

Public school districts in Nevada include:

• Desert Research Institute

The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame provides educational resources and promotes the aerospace and aviation history of the state.^[130]

Under the Constitution of the State of Nevada, the powers of the Nevada government are divided among three separate departments: the executive consisting of the governor of Nevada and their cabinet along with the other elected constitutional officers; the legislative consisting of the Nevada Legislature, which includes the Assembly and the Senate; and the judicial consisting of the Supreme Court of Nevada and lower courts.

The governor is the chief magistrate of Nevada,^[131] the head of the executive department of the state's government,^[131] and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.^[132] The current governor is Joe Lombardo, a Republican. The executive branch also consists of an independently elected lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state controller, and attorney general who function as a check and balance on the power of the governor.^[133]

The Nevada Legislature is a bicameral body divided into an Assembly and Senate. Members of the Assembly serve two years, and members of the Senate serve four years. Both houses of the Nevada Legislature enacted term limits starting in 2010, with senators and assemblymen/women who are limited to a maximum of twelve years in each body (by appointment or election which is a lifetime limit) – a provision of the constitution which was upheld by the Supreme Court of Nevada in a unanimous decision. Each session of the legislature meets for a constitutionally mandated 120 days in every odd-numbered year, or longer if the governor calls a special session.

On December 18, 2018, Nevada became the first in the United States with a female majority in its legislature. Women hold nine of the 21 seats in the Nevada Senate, and 23 of the 42 seats in the Nevada Assembly.^[134]

The Supreme Court of Nevada is the state supreme court and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. Original jurisdiction is divided between the district courts (with general jurisdiction), and justice courts and municipal courts (both of limited jurisdiction). Appeals from District Courts are made directly to the Nevada Supreme Court, which under a deflective model of jurisdiction, has the discretion to send cases to the Court of Appeals for final resolution.^[135]

Incorporated towns in Nevada, known as cities, are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. A recent movement has begun to permit home rule to incorporate Nevada cities to give them more flexibility and fewer restrictions from the Legislature. Town Boards for unincorporated towns are limited local governments created by either the local county commission, or by referendum, and form a purely advisory role and in no way diminish the responsibilities of the county commission that creates them.

In 1900, Nevada's population was the smallest of all states and was shrinking, as the difficulties of living in a "barren desert" began to outweigh the lure of silver for many early settlers. Historian Lawrence Friedman has explained what happened next:

Nevada, in a burst of ingenuity, built an economy by exploiting its sovereignty. Its strategy was to legalize all sorts of things that were illegal in California ... after the easy divorce came easy marriage and casino gaming. Even prostitution is legal in Nevada, in any county that decides to allow it. Quite a few of them do.^[136]

With the advent of air conditioning for summertime use and Southern Nevada's mild winters, the fortunes of the state began to turn around, as it did for Arizona, making these two states the fastest growing in the Union.

Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal – in a licensed brothel in a county which has specifically voted to permit it. It is illegal in larger jurisdictions such as Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), Washoe County (which contains Reno), and the independent city of Carson City.

Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that before the no-fault divorce revolution in the 1970s, divorces were difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gambling and prostitution, Nevada continued the trend of boosting its profile by adopting one of the most liberal divorce statutes in the nation. This resulted in Williams v. North Carolina (1942), 317 U.S. 287 (1942), in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled North Carolina had to give "full faith and credit" to a Nevada divorce. The Court modified its decision in Williams v. North Carolina (1945), 325 U.S. 226 (1945), by holding a state need not recognize a Nevada divorce unless one of the parties was domiciled there at the time the divorce was granted and the forum state was entitled to make its own determination.

As of 2009, Nevada's divorce rate was above the national average.^[137]

Nevada's tax laws are intended to draw new residents and businesses to the state. Nevada has no personal income tax or corporate income tax.^[138] Since Nevada does not collect income data it cannot share such information with the federal government, the IRS.^[139]

The state sales tax (similar to VAT or GST) in Nevada is variable depending upon the county. The statewide tax rate is 6.85%, with five counties (Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, and Mineral) charging this amount. Counties may impose additional rates via voter approval or through approval of the state legislature; therefore, the applicable sales tax varies by county from 6.85% to 8.375% (Clark County). Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, imposes four separate county option taxes in addition to the statewide rate: 0.25% for flood control, 0.50% for mass transit, 0.25% for infrastructure, and 0.25% for more law enforcement. In Washoe County, which includes Reno, the sales tax rate is 7.725%, due to county option rates for flood control, the ReTRAC train trench project, and mass transit, and an additional county rate approved under the Local Government Tax Act of 1991.^[140] The minimum Nevada sales tax rate changed on July 1, 2009.^[141]

The lodging tax rate in unincorporated Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip, is 12%. Within the boundaries of the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, the lodging tax rate is 13%.

Corporations such as Apple Inc. allegedly have set up investment companies and funds in Nevada to avoid paying taxes.^[142]

In 2009, the Nevada Legislature passed a bill creating a domestic partnership registry which enables same-sex couples to enjoy the same rights as married couples. Due to the landmark decision in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), same-sex marriage was outright legalized in the state.

Nevada provides a friendly environment for the formation of corporations, and many (especially California) businesses have incorporated in Nevada to take advantage of the benefits of the Nevada statute. Nevada corporations offer great flexibility to the board of directors and simplify or avoid many of the rules that are cumbersome to business managers in some other states. In addition, Nevada has no franchise tax, although it does require businesses to have a license for which the business has to pay the state.

Similarly, many U.S. states have usury laws limiting the amount of interest a lender can charge, but federal law allows corporations to "import" these laws from their home state. Nevada has no cap on interest rates that may be agreed to in contracts.^[143]

Nevada has very liberal alcohol laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24 hours, with no "last call". Liquor stores, convenience stores and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24 hours per day and may sell beer, wine and spirits.

In 2016, Nevada voters approved Question 2, which legalized the possession, transportation and cultivation of personal use amounts of marijuana for adults age 21 years and older, and authorized the creation of a regulated market for the sale of marijuana to adults age 21 years and older through state-licensed retail outlets.^[144] Nevada voters had previously approved medical marijuana in 2000, but rejected marijuana legalization in a similar referendum in 2006. Marijuana in all forms remains illegal under federal law.

Aside from cannabis legalization, non-alcohol drug laws are a notable exception to Nevada's otherwise libertarian principles. It is notable for having the harshest penalties for drug offenders in the country. Nevada remains the only state to still use mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for possession of drugs.^[145]

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported, in their Behavioral Health Barometer for Nevada, published in 2014, changes to substance abuse patterns and addiction across the southwestern state.^[146] Between 2012 and 2013, adolescents in Nevada abused illicit substances at a slightly higher percentage than nationally. 10.2 percent of Nevada's adolescents abused illicit drugs compared to 9.2 percent across the United States. Between 2009 and 2013, 11.7 percent of all adolescents in the state reported abusing illicit, intoxicating substances in the month prior to the survey; this represents 25,000 adolescents.

Nevada voters enacted a smoking ban ("The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act") in November 2006 which became effective on December 8, 2006. It outlaws smoking in most workplaces and public places. Smoking is permitted in bars, but only if the bar serves no food, or the bar is inside a larger casino. Smoking is also permitted in casinos, certain hotel rooms, tobacco shops, and brothels.^[147] However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it.^[148] In 2011, smoking restrictions in Nevada were relaxed for certain places which allow only people 21 or older inside.^[149]

In 2006, the crime rate in Nevada was about 24% higher than the national average rate, though crime has since decreased. Property crimes accounted for about 85% of the total crime rate in Nevada, which was 21% higher than the national rate. The remaining 20.3% were violent crimes.^[150] A complete listing of crime data in the state for 2013 can be found here:^[151]

Party registration as of February 2025^[152]

Party		Total voters	Percentage
	Democratic	616,656	29.42%
	Republican	616,882	29.43%
	Independent American	94,604	4.51%
	Libertarian	16,202	0.77%
	Other parties	48,727	2.33%
	Nonpartisan	703,085	33.54%
Total		2,096,156	100.00%

Due to heavy growth in the southern portion of the state, there is a noticeable divide between the politics of northern and southern Nevada. Historically, northern Nevada has been very Republican. The more rural counties of the north are among the most conservative regions of the state. Carson City, the state's capital, is a Republican-leaning swing city/county. Washoe County, home to Reno, has historically been strongly Republican, but now has become a fairly balanced swing county, like the state as a whole. Clark County, home to Las Vegas, has been a stronghold for the Democratic Party since it was founded in 1909, having voted Republican only six times and once for a third-party candidate, although in recent times becoming more competitive, most notably in the 2024 Presidential Election where the Democratic Party's margin of victory was only 2.63 percentage points to Republicans.^[153] Clark and Washoe counties have long dominated the state's politics. Between them, they cast 87% of Nevada's vote, and elect a substantial majority of the state legislature. The last Republican to carry Clark County was George H. W. Bush in 1988, and the last Republican to carry Washoe County was George W. Bush in 2004. The great majority of the state's elected officials are from either Las Vegas or Reno.^[154] Donald Trump was able to carry Nevada with a statewide majority in 2024, despite losing both Clark and Washoe.

In 2014, Republican Adam Laxalt, despite losing both Clark and Washoe counties, was elected Attorney General. However, he had lost Clark County only by 5.6% and Washoe County by 1.4%, attributable to lower turnout in these counties.^[155]

Nevada has been won by the winner of nearly every presidential election since its first in 1864, only being carried by the defeated candidate eight times since statehood, most of which were before 1900. Since 1912 Nevada has been carried by the presidential victor the most out of any state (27 of 29 elections), the only exceptions being 1976 when it voted for Gerald Ford over Jimmy Carter and 2016 when the state was carried by Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. This gives the state status as a political bellwether. It was one of only three states won by John F. Kennedy in the American West in the election of 1960, albeit narrowly.^[156] The state's U.S. Senators are Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. The Governorship is held by Joe Lombardo, a Republican.

Nevada is the only U.S. state to have a none of the above option available on its ballots. Officially called None of These Candidates, the option was first added to the ballot in 1975 and is used in all statewide elections, including president, US Senate and all state constitutional positions. In the event "None of These Candidates" receives a plurality of votes in the election, the candidate with the next-highest total is elected.^[157]

In a 2020 study, Nevada was ranked as the 23rd on the "Cost of Voting Index", which is a measure of "the ease of voting across the United States."^[158]

Resort areas like Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Laughlin attract visitors from around the nation and world. In fiscal year 2022 Nevada casinos (not counting those with annual revenue under a million dollars) brought in US$10.7 billion in gaming revenue and another US$15.7 billion in non-gaming revenue.^[159]

Nevada has by far the most hotel rooms per capita in the United States. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, there were 187,301 rooms in 584 hotels (of 15 or more rooms). The state is ranked just below California, Texas, Florida, and New York in the total number of rooms, but those states have much larger populations. Nevada has one hotel room for every 14 residents, far above the national average of one hotel room per 67 residents.^[160]

Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada in licensed brothels, but only counties with populations under 400,000 have the option to legalize it. Although prostitution is not a major part of the Nevada economy, employing roughly 300 women as independent contractors, it is a very visible endeavor. Of the 14 counties permitted to legalize prostitution under state law, eight have chosen to legalize brothels. State law prohibits prostitution in Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), and Washoe County (which contains Reno). However, prostitution is legal in Storey County, which is part of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.

The Las Vegas Valley is home to the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League who began to play in the 2017–18 NHL season at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League who began play at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise in 2020 after moving from Oakland, California, and the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA who began playing in 2018 at Mandalay Bay Events Center after relocating from San Antonio. The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball plan to move to Las Vegas by 2027.^[161][162]

Nevada takes pride in college sports, most notably its college football. College teams in the state include the Nevada Wolf Pack (representing the University of Nevada, Reno) and the UNLV Rebels (representing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas), both in the Mountain West Conference (MW).

UNLV is most remembered for its men's basketball program, which experienced its height of supremacy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels became one of the most elite programs in the country. In 1990, UNLV won the Men's Division I Championship by defeating Duke 103–73, which set tournament records for most points scored by a team and largest margin of victory in the national title game.

In 1991, UNLV finished the regular season undefeated, a feat that would not be matched in Division I men's basketball for more than 20 years. Forward Larry Johnson won several awards, including the Naismith Award. UNLV reached the Final Four yet again, but lost their national semifinal against Duke 79–77. The Runnin' Rebels were the Associated Press pre-season No. 1 back to back (1989–90, 1990–91). North Carolina is the only other team to accomplish that (2007–08, 2008–09).

The state's involvement in major-college sports is not limited to its local schools. In the 21st century, the Las Vegas area has become a significant regional center for college basketball conference tournaments. The MW, West Coast Conference, and Western Athletic Conference all hold their men's and women's tournaments in the area, and the Pac-12 holds its men's tournament there as well. The Big Sky Conference, after decades of holding its men's and women's conference tournaments at campus sites, began holding both tournaments in Reno in 2016.

Las Vegas has hosted several professional boxing matches, most recently at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with bouts such as Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield, Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II, Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao and at the newer T-Mobile Arena with Canelo Álvarez vs. Amir Khan.

Along with significant rises in popularity in mixed martial arts (MMA), a number of fight leagues such as the UFC have taken interest in Las Vegas as a primary event location due to the number of suitable host venues. The Mandalay Bay Events Center and MGM Grand Garden Arena are among some of the more popular venues for fighting events such as MMA and have hosted several UFC and other MMA title fights. The city has held the most UFC events with 86 events.

The state is also home to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which hosts NASCAR's Pennzoil 400 and South Point 400. Two venues in the immediate Las Vegas area host major annual events in rodeo. The Thomas & Mack Center, built for UNLV men's basketball, hosts the National Finals Rodeo. The PBR World Finals, operated by the bull riding-only Professional Bull Riders, was also held at the Thomas & Mack Center before moving to T-Mobile Arena in 2016.

The state is also home to famous tennis player, Andre Agassi, and current baseball superstar Bryce Harper.

Team	Sport	League	Venue (capacity)	Established	Titles
Las Vegas Raiders	Football	NFL	Allegiant Stadium (65,000)	2020	3[f]
Vegas Golden Knights	Ice hockey	NHL	T-Mobile Arena (17,500)	2017	1
Las Vegas Aces	Women's basketball	WNBA	Michelob Ultra Arena (12,000)	2018	2

Team	Sport	League	Venue (capacity)	Established	Titles
Las Vegas Aviators	Baseball	MiLB (AAA–PCL)	Las Vegas Ballpark (10,000)	1983	2
Reno Aces			Greater Nevada Field (9,013)	2009	2
Vegas Royals	Basketball	ABA		0
Henderson Silver Knights	Ice hockey	AHL	Dollar Loan Center (5,567)	2020	0
Tahoe Knight Monsters		ECHL	Tahoe Blue Event Center (5,000)	2024	0
Las Vegas Lights FC	Soccer	USLC	Cashman Field (9,334)	2018	0
Nevada Storm	Women's football	WFA	Damonte Ranch High School (N/A) Fernley High School (N/A) Galena High School (N/A)	2008	0
Sin City Trojans			Desert Pines High School (N/A)		0
Vegas Knight Hawks	Indoor football	IFL	Dollar Loan Center (6,019)	2021	0
Las Vegas Desert Dogs	Box lacrosse	NLL	Michelob Ultra Arena (12,000)		0

Team	Sport	League	Venue (capacity)	Established	Titles
Reno Ice Raiders	Ice hockey	MWHL	Reno Ice	2015	0
Vegas Jesters			City National Arena (600)	2012	0
Las Vegas Thunderbirds		USPHL		2019	0
Las Vegas Legends	Soccer	NPSL	Peter Johann Memorial Field (2,500)	2021	0
Nevada Coyotes FC		UPSL	Rio Vista Sports Complex (N/A)	2016	0

School	Team	League	Division	Conference
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)	UNLV Rebels	NCAA	NCAA Division I	Mountain West
University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)	Nevada Wolf Pack
College of Southern Nevada (CSN)	CSN Coyotes	NJCAA	NJCAA Division I	Scenic West
Western Nevada College (WNC)	WNC Wildcats

Several United States Navy ships have been named USS Nevada in honor of the state. They include:

• Nevada (1865 screw frigate)
• USS Nevada (BM-8)
• USS Nevada (BB-36)
• USS Nevada (SSBN-733)

Area 51 is near Groom Lake, a dry salt lake bed. The much smaller Creech Air Force Base is in Indian Springs, Nevada; Hawthorne Army Depot in Hawthorne; the Tonopah Test Range near Tonopah; and Nellis AFB in the northeast part of the Las Vegas Valley. Naval Air Station Fallon in Fallon; NSAWC, (pronounced "EN-SOCK") in western Nevada. NSAWC consolidated three Command Centers into a single Command Structure under a flag officer on July 11, 1996. The Naval Strike Warfare Center based at NAS Fallon since 1984, was joined with the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School, which both moved from NAS Miramar as a result of a Base Realignment and Closure decision in 1993 which transferred that installation back to the Marine Corps as MCAS Miramar. The Seahawk Weapon School was added in 1998 to provide tactical training for Navy helicopters.

These bases host a number of activities including the Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence, the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Nevada Test and Training Range, Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the United States Air Force Warfare Center, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School.

• Index of Nevada-related articles
• Outline of Nevada – organized list of topics about Nevada
• List of people from Nevada

• "Nevada" (official state website).
• "Nevada State Guide". Library of Congress.
• "Nevada State Databases". ALA. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2008. Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nevada state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• State Tourism website
• Nevada State Library and Archives
• Energy Profile for Nevada
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nevada
• US Census Bureau
• 1875 County Map at Texas Tech Southwest Collection
• County Maps of Nevada Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats
• Nevada State Facts from USDA
• Forgotten Nevada – Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nevada
• Nevada's Historical Markers
• Nevada State Seal
• Geographic data related to Nevada at OpenStreetMap
• Online Nevada Encyclopedia, Nevada Humanities
• Nevada Corporation Headquarters

Preceded by West Virginia

List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on October 31, 1864 (36th)

Succeeded by Nebraska

39°N 117°W / 39°N 117°W / 39; -117 (State of Nevada)